Scars and Laugh Lines

Happy September All! Last month many of you noticed the blog layout change, 2015 has been a bit of a metamorphosis so far and I felt that Cashmere & Camo should aptly follow along. To say that this year has been a been a roller coaster would be an understatement. With the oil industry in the tank we went into the new year with a great deal of apprehension and I had a feeling that this 2015 would be a game changer. What I didn’t realize is that it was the health card that would get dealt to me just a few short days after the holidays.

Over the Christmas break, I realized there was a sizable bulge on my lower abdomen that didn’t seem to be adding up to all those holiday goodies I’d been partaking in. I attributed it to weight gain that I had been too busy at work to notice, to bloating after eating poorly and vowed I would get back in the gym once at home. But once home something still didn’t quite feel right so I headed in for a check-up. After about a 5 min exam my GP states, “you have a very large mass but it’s most likely just a cyst that needs to be drained…”  An ultrasound revealed a 20 cm complex cyst (read abnormal). From here for the next 4 weeks I can only describe an out of body experience going through the paces of referrals from the GP to a specialist to finally the surgical oncologist~stress makes you forget a lot of things, and being handed a cancer care number was one of the scariest things I’ve experienced so far in my life. I was lucky my parents were there to follow me around to appointments, to listen and ask questions when I was overwhelmed. It’s important to note that any web search you do will tell you that ovarian cysts are highly typical and most women will get one or some in their life even without knowing it. The problem is when these cysts are or become cancerous, which is why ovarian cancer is dubbed, “the silent killer”. It’s difficult to detect, and most only do when it’s at later stages.

About a month and a half after my initial visit with the GP, I underwent major laparotomy surgery that entailed an 8″ incision that runs from pelvic bone to above my belly button, removal of the tumor (that I nicknamed Rhonda and weighted almost 4 lbs!), ovary, appendix, omentum, tubes and lymph-nodes. My CA125 tumor markers were at an acceptable level so luckily I was not scheduled for a full hysterectomy unless pathology came back unfavorable, at which point I would have a second surgery and further treatment. One thing to note, that they don’t tell women that are still in their reproductive years, deferring a hysterectomy and having chemotherapy can in itself cause infertility and early menopause. So trying to preserve fertility if you are faced with these unfortunate options might be something one would want to know about going into things.

And after what seemed like the longest wait of my life, pathology came back positive and everything that needed to be removed, had been, and I could breath. Honestly anyone who’s been through this before could probably attest that you feel a new lease on life, as it’s a time that causes deep introspection and contemplation of your choices in general. My health & fitness has now become a main priority after many years of sitting at a desk ignoring what my body was trying to tell me. And I have a pretty good daily reminder on my midriff that keeps me present and grateful for my outcome.

I tell this story now because September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. In the hopes that other women reading this that are experiencing some of the signs and symptoms of bloating, feeling full, weight gain, back or abdominal pain, fatigue to name a few, please check things out with your doctor and ask to investigate! There is no early detection and as I mentioned before most ovarian cysts are benign, however if malignant but caught in the early stages greatly improves success of treatment. Ovarian cancer is the 5th most common cancer for women however is the most serious women’s cancer. If you are high risk with family history there are also preventative strategies that can be considered. Also you can show your support this Friday, Sept 4th by wearing teal and sharing the facts about ovarian cancer #WearTealDay or join in a walk or run in a city near you.